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Photographs have energy – and I used to be reminded of simply how a lot emotion a picture can carry when one of many latest characteristic photograph sequence to win a Pulitzer immediately introduced tears to my eyes. A sequence of black-and-white images by Jahi Chikwendiu, a former The Washington Post photographer, following a younger couple welcoming their first little one as the daddy confronted terminal most cancers, has received a 2026 Pulitzer Prize within the Feature Photography class.
In the series that the Pulitzer Prize committee calls “a heart-wrenching and achingly beautiful photo essay,” Chikwendiu documented the struggles of a younger household welcoming their first little one whereas the daddy confronted terminal most cancers. Tanner and Shay Martin, of Utah, welcomed their daughter on May 17, 2025. Tanner died from stage 4 colon most cancers lower than six weeks afterward June 25, 2025.
Tanner was just 25 years old and studying for a bachelor’s degree when he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2020. Chikwendiu’s photo essay documents the struggles of facing a terminal diagnosis at an age when many young adults are starting families and careers.
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“Most cancers in the United States are found in people age 65 and older, but a new study shows a concerning trend: Cancer among younger Americans, particularly women, is on the rise, with gastrointestinal, endocrine and breast cancers climbing at the fastest rates,” the caption to the photo story reads.
“There is not a clear explanation why cancer rates are rising among younger people, but experts say there are several possible reasons behind the trend, including rising obesity rates and lifestyle factors such as drinking alcohol, smoking, sleeping poorly and being sedentary,” the caption continues. “Environmental factors, including exposure to pollutants and carcinogenic chemicals, also probably play a role.”
Chikwendiu’s work follows the family across several months, including sonogram appointments, home life, moments with the newborn, and the funeral for the 25-year-old new father.
The photo series is both beautiful and heartbreaking, but draws attention to a growing problem of cancer diagnosis among younger generations. Viewing the photographs was particularly emotional for me because I’ve experienced the ripple effects of young adults facing a cancer diagnosis: I lost my best friend to breast cancer before she even reached the recommended age for regular mammograms.
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Chikwendiu has worked with The Washington Post since 2001. His work has spanned from the US invasion of Iraq, AIDS in Kenya, and genocide in Darfur, in addition to matters nearer to house, together with Washington DC’s college system. Prior to his photojournalism profession, Chikwendiu labored as a math trainer, however freelancing as a photographer over the summer season break rapidly led to a profession shift into pictures.
Chikwendiu’s photograph sequence joins an inventory of award-winning work throughout journalism, books, drama, and music for 2026. Among photojournalists, Saher Alghorra of The New York Times, acquired a Pulitzer within the Breaking News Photography class for documenting the devastation in Gaza from the conflict with Israel.
Finalists for the 2026 Pulitzer Feature Photography class had been Gabrielle Lurie of the San Francisco Chronicle for a sequence on the fentanyl disaster and the staff photographers of The New York Times for in-depth pictures on the drone warfare in Ukraine.
Additional images from Chikwendiu’s sequence can be found from the Pulitzer Prize website.
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For extra highly effective photojournalism inspiration, view the 2026 World Press Photo Award winners.
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